more Stat Blocks for my Pathfinder/Ravenloft campaign

[Ryan Naylor]

What about:

Paralysis (Su) A creature struck by one of a carrionette’s needles must make a Will save or the limb pierced by the needle is paralysed. On a critical hit, two limbs are paralysed. A paralysed arm is unable to hold anything or make attacks; a paralysed leg halves the creatures speed (or reduces it by a quarter, if quadrupedal). A creature whose legs are paralysed but arms are functional can drag itself with a speed of 5. Determine which limb is affected randomly, ignoring any limbs that are already paralysed. If the needle is removed, normal function returns after 1d4 rounds.

That might be simpler than tracking a floating penalty.

[Nemesio]

Thanks man. Yah that makes sense. I like how you phrased it. What about skill penalties? I definitely don't like the mess I of text I wrote but....

and I realize all those skill check penalties and such usually wouldn't come into play during such a terrifying situation [a bunch of little dolls paralyzing your limbs with magic needles...yikes!].... But then again they might. Say a character is locked in a room with the carrionettes and he is trying to pick the lock with one arm and one leg? Or say he's climbing a ladder with no legs? Do you think skill penalties would be warranted in such situations? How would you phrase something like that without getting too crazy.

[Nemesio]

What about:

Paralysis (Su) A creature struck by one of a carrionette’s needles must make a Will save or the limb pierced by the needle is paralysed. On a critical hit, two limbs are paralysed. A paralysed arm is unable to hold anything or make attacks; a paralysed leg halves the creatures speed (or reduces it by a quarter, if quadrupedal). A creature whose legs are paralysed but arms are functional can drag itself with a speed of 5. Determine which limb is affected randomly, ignoring any limbs that are already paralysed. If the needle is removed, normal function returns after 1d4 rounds.

That might be simpler than tracking a floating penalty.

How is this Ryan? I thought the ability could use a bit of an overhaul. Rather than coming up with penalties for individual paralyzed limbs, I thought I could make each failed saving throw incur cumulative penalties, eventually resulting in paralysis after a fourth failure.

What do ya think? In this case should a critical hit result in automatic failure of a saving throw?



Silver Needles (Su) Maligno’s silver needles have a range increment of 15 feet. When thrown, thin silver cords trail behind them, extending from his hands. These cords become invisible after the attached needle pierces a target. Maligno's silver needles inflict no damage but creatures pierced by them must make a Will save DC 15 or become paralyzed gradually with each failure. One failed save imposes a -4 penalty on all attack rolls, ability checks, and skill checks; a second failed save halves the targets speed; a third failed save reduces the target’s speed to 5 ft.; a fourth failed save paralyzes the target. These penalties end in 1d4 rounds if all the needles are removed. Unlike most carrionettes, Maligno cannot transfer his essence into a live body with a fifth needle.

[Nemesio]

Bar that! (pardon the Planescape jargon]

Here it is!

Pull Strings (Su) Maligno’s silver needles have a range increment of 15 feet. When he throws a needle, a thin silver cord trails behind it, extending from his hand. The needles do no damage, but pierced creatures must make a Will save DC 15 or suffer from one of the following conditions as Maligno skillfully manipulates the attached silver cord. Roll 1d4: 1—sickened; 2—staggered; 3—nauseated; 4—paralyzed. If the needles are removed, all conditions end in 1d4 rounds. Maligno is immune to the effect of his own needles. He can recover and reuse thrown needles; the needles themselves are non-magical, serving only as a medium of delivery for the silver cords. Once a target is paralyzed, a normal carrionette can drive one more needles into the creature's neck to transfer its essence into the live body. Not so with Maligno. He can call one of his carrionettes to take over the body, however.

[The Giamarga]

I agree Elena shouldn't be an antipaladin, but I'm not sure I would have made her an inquisitor. I'll have to think about that one.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts about this...

Also: fire domain? Really?

[Nemesio]

I agree Elena shouldn't be an antipaladin, but I'm not sure I would have made her an inquisitor. I'll have to think about that one.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts about this...

Also: fire domain? Really?

Her options were Fire and Sun. I chose Fire for its purification properties. She also has put several villages to the torch in her career.

Sun didn't do much for her since she can't turn undead. It would give her a cool nimbus of light for a few rounds per day, which help describe why she keeps fooling herself into thinking she still has the support of Belenus.

[Jester of the FoS]

Yah. You might be right about that. I don't wanna step on anybody's toes or incur any bad Karma. I'll post em without the Epic tiers too then as a good gesture.

Personally, I think making the darklords Mythic but keeping the PCs normal is a great way to add oomf to the darklords without stacking extra spells or making them unkillable due to too high of numbers.
It's great for a lot of the potent darklords like Strahd, Azalin, Gwydion, and maybe even Adam. It's a better solution that just adding endless class levels.

But, given, Mythic isn't finished yet, those darklords should be held off on for the next five months. It's more a suggestion to focus on the non-Mythic for now.

I always agreed that Strahd should have been a fighter or warrior. I've thought he could have been near 20 levels in a martial class after surviving so many skirmishes.

He was tough, but not a hero. It takes hundreds of challenging fights to even reach level 10. He was also a general as well as a combatant. He might not always have been involved.

[Jester of the FoS]

Took a few liberties with Elena. I don't necessarily believe she needs to be an anti-paladin in Pathfinder.

I agree that she's not an anti-paladin, but she was a paladin before and still believers herself to be a paladin.

I might stat her up as a straight paladin and just have her abilities gifts of the Dark Powers rather than her god, twisting a few when needed. Such as altering detect evil and smite evil.

[Nemesio]

Thank you Jester for taking the time to write your thoughts.

I have always wanted to tackle making a couple darklords. I've done so in the past with a couple in 3.5, Like Azalin. Ever since seeing you guys doing it for yourselves on your threads, and in the QtR and other netbooks [which I adore], I thought I wanted to give it a go myself. I merrily waste my time geeking out over RPG stuff. I have about 64 MB worth of this kind of crap stored on my computer.

Personally, I think making the darklords Mythic but keeping the PCs normal is a great way to add oomf to the darklords without stacking extra spells or making them unkillable due to too high of numbers.
It's great for a lot of the potent darklords like Strahd, Azalin, Gwydion, and maybe even Adam. It's a better solution that just adding endless class levels.

But, given, Mythic isn't finished yet, those darklords should be held off on for the next five months. It's more a suggestion to focus on the non-Mythic for now.

I'm constantly editing these guys, especially as I get more feedback. I don't mind making changes at all. For now I'm using this thread to get some honest feedback for stuff I'd be doing anyway, but without the luxury of being able to share.

You are right about waiting to stat the big guns for now. Have you got any kind of list for darklords you would consider as epic? I'd appreciate your opinion. Otherwise It won't be much trouble to apply the mythic template after I purchase the book once its releases.

He was tough, but not a hero. It takes hundreds of challenging fights to even reach level 10. He was also a general as well as a combatant. He might not always have been involved.

Yah I agree with you about Strahd's combat oriented levels not necessarily being above 10th. I do have a distinct memory stuck in my mind of Strahd appearing as a 20th level warrior and general in Roots of Evil [2nd edition]. The part were Azalin sends the PCs back in time and they get mixed up with Strahd's and Inijira and The Book of Keeping. I can't seem to shake seeing him that way, but I don't know if I agree with him having been so high in level.......and where the heck did those levels go? I've struggled with this for a long time

[Nemesio]

I agree that she's not an anti-paladin, but she was a paladin before and still believers herself to be a paladin.

I might stat her up as a straight paladin and just have her abilities gifts of the Dark Powers rather than her god, twisting a few when needed. Such as altering detect evil and smite evil.

That's not a bad idea at all, and it would probably be the most honest depiction of her based on her original write-up in "Islands of Terror", which I thoroughly enjoyed re-reading. What a great grim fairy tale!

However, This is one instance where I feel compelled to break canon. I just think the inquisitor class better helps her fulfill her role as a Ravenloft Darklord, which is essentially, in my opinion, "The Inquisitor". Also anybody can fall from grace, not just paladins. In the end which is more important in game terms, her having once been a holy knight, or her being a fanatic? I'm inclined to choose fanatic. I don't buy her being some kind of fallen Joan of Arc. She was always too discerning of others' faults [not willing to acknowledge her own] and brutal and blood thirsty. She could still view herself as a paladin. Certainly nobody would ever question her status as a holy warrior of Belenus. She still dons armor like as a knight and she is certainly combat trained.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

I dunno, to each their own and all that, but I still see Elena as a paladin, not an inquisitor. Her backstory as a comrade in arms of Kateri, as members of The Circle, which from the Shadowborn novel is clearly an order of paladins, cements it for me. I wouldn't give up her close connection to Kateri (which binds the Shadowlands cluster together) to let her fill a perceived hole as "the inquisitor darklord." While she leads her land, and her faith, and therefore leads the inquistion in her lands, I see her taking a more hands-off approach, delegating that actual inquisiting to others. (The could be because I made up an inquisitor working under her for my campaign, so YMMV, but that's how I see it.)

I understand that there can be lawful good inquisitors, and she could see herself as such. But IMHO, her high opinion of her own righteousness befits someone who thinks themselves to be the ultimate paragon of her faith: a paladin. That seems key to her character and its flaws, IMHO. Not her rooting out of "evil," but her perception of herself as a flawless implement of Belenus's will. Particularly this line from the description of inquisitors doesn't seem to fit: "using trickery and guile when righteousness and purity is not enough". The most trickery and guile she ever showed was when she hid in the towns she would eventually destroy, looking for enough evildoers to sentence the town. But even then, once she declared her judgement, I think she'd reveal herself as a "paladin" and execute the sentence.

Just the way I see it...

[Nemesio]

Solid points Ron.

I dunno, to each their own and all that, but I still see Elena as a paladin, not an inquisitor. Her backstory as a comrade in arms of Kateri, as members of The Circle, which from the Shadowborn novel is clearly an order of paladins, cements it for me. I wouldn't give up her close connection to Kateri (which binds the Shadowlands cluster together) to let her fill a perceived hole as "the inquisitor darklord." While she leads her land, and her faith, and therefore leads the inquistion in her lands, I see her taking a more hands-off approach, delegating that actual inquisiting to others. (The could be because I made up an inquisitor working under her for my campaign, so YMMV, but that's how I see it.)

Yikes! You got me. I forgot about the novel. I have never read "Shadowborn". I guess I should have before spouting off.

Particularly this line from the description of inquisitors doesn't seem to fit: "using trickery and guile when righteousness and purity is not enough". The most trickery and guile she ever showed was when she hid in the towns she would eventually destroy, looking for enough evildoers to sentence the town. But even then, once she declared her judgement, I think she'd reveal herself as a "paladin" and execute the sentence.

Just the way I see it...

Ok another compelling argument....I'm beginning to feel like a blasphemer! What to do now?

[Nemesio]

Well here is another controversial one. Because of his dual natures I had to once again take some liberties.

So here is what I put together from my research of Diamabel.

DIAMABEL, The Beauteous, The Black Herald, Darklord of Pharazia, CR 19 (XP 204,800)
Male unique undead human fighter 16
CE Medium undead (augmented humanoid, shapechanger)
Init +8; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +11
Aura fear (30 ft., DC 22)
DEFENSE
AC 31, touch 15, flat-footed 26 (+4 Dex, +16 natural, +1 dodge)
hp 168 (16d10+64); regeneration 5 (good weapons or good spells)
Fort +14, Ref +11, Will +8; +4 vs. fear
Defensive Abilities bravery +4, channel resistance +1, undying soul; DR 15/good and silver; Immune undead traits; SR 30
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft., fly 80 ft. (good)
Melee Spiritburner +30/+25/+20/+15 (1d6+18/15-20), 2 wings +19 (1d8+4 plus stun)
Special Attacks night form, stun (DC 25), weapon training (heavy blades +3, light blades +2, natural +1)
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 16th; concentration +20)
1/day—harm (DC 20)
NIGHT FORM STATISTICS
Each night, Diamabel undergoes an excruciatingly painful transformation into the rotting and foul perversion of his day form. In this night form, Diamabel gains a number of additional abilities, and the changes to his statistics are Aura rotting aura (15 ft., DC 22); Fort +18, Ref +15, Will +12; +4 vs. fear; Defensive Abilities unholy grace; Melee Spiritburner +30/+25/+20/+15 (2d4+18/18-20), 2 wings +19 (1d8+4 plus stun, plus rotting touch); 2 claws +24 (1d8+8 plus rotting touch), 2 wings +23 (1d8+7 plus stun, plus rotting touch); Special Attacks rotting touch; Skills Intimidate +31; Racial Modifiers +8 Intimidate
STATISTICS
Str 24, Dex 18, Con —, Int 15, Wis 13, Cha 19
Base Atk +16; CMB +23; CMD 37
Feats Cleave, Dodge, Flyby Attack, Improved Critical (scimitar), Improved Iniative, Iron Will, Leadership, Lightning Reflexes, Lightning Stance, Mobility, Mounted Combat, Ride-By Attack, Power Attack (-5/+10), Spring Attack, Weapon Focus (scimitar), Weapon Specialization (scimitar), Wind Stance, Whirlwind Attack
Skills Acrobatics +5, Bluff +5, Climb +11, Diplomacy +5, Fly +13, Handle Animal +10, Intimidate +23, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +6, Knowledge (engineering) +6, Knowledge (geography) +7, Knowledge (local) +7, Knowledge (nature) +7, Knowledge (nobility) +5, Knowledge (planes) +5, Knowledge (religion) +10, Ride +17, Sense Motive +6, Survival +16, Perception +11
Languages Pharazian, Akiri, Celestial
SQ armor training 4, detect disruption, sinkhole of evil
Gear Spiritburner (+3 flaming scimitar with the added properties of a flame tongue)
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Closing the Borders (Su) When Diamabel wishes to close the borders of Pharazia, a windstorm rises that exists only along the boundaries of his domain. Within this storm, stinging sand blocks all vision and inflicts 3d6 points of piercing damage each round to anyone attempting to leave Pharazia.
Rotting Aura (Su) Any creature standing within 15 feet of Diamabel in his night form must make a Reflex save DC 22 each round or take 5d6 points of damage (half on a successful save) as its flesh begins to succumb to decay. The creature must also succeed on a subsequent Will save DC 22 (regardless of whether it succeeds on the first save) or be nauseated for 1 round. In each round that a creature takes damage from Diamabel’s rotting aura, he heals 5 points of damage per victim. The save DC is Charisma-based.
Rotting Touch (Su) Whenever Diamabel is in his night form and hits a single foe with more than one of his natural attacks in a round, he rots his opponent’s flesh. This effect automatically deals an extra 1d6+6 points of damage and heals Diamabel of 5 points of damage.
Stun (Su) If Diamabel strikes an opponent twice in one round with his wings, that creature must succeed on a DC 25 Fortitude save or be stunned for 1 round. The save DC is Strength-based.
Undying Soul (Su) If defeated, Diamabel’s body immolates itself with all his possessions. His ashes migrate to the far corners of his domain, no matter how they may be scattered or contained. In one month’s time, he reconstitutes completely, Spiritburner in hand
Unholy Grace (Su) In his night form, Diamabel receives a +4 profane bonus on all saving throws.

[Nemesio]

Anyone come up with a DREAD PALADIN class or template?

I don't think all of a "typical" paladin's abilities translate perfectly when they are simply reversed. A "no mercy" ability, the reverse of the "mercy" ability may be a little unbalanced, for instance.

The idea of paladins of evil alignment running around Ravenloft with a perverse sense of justice is beginning to grow on me.

[Jester of the FoS]

There's the paladin of tyranny here:
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/class ... lasses.htm

A midde ground approach might work. Elena starts as a paladin, but switches unknowingly to inquisitor when she falls.